Picture frame



April 14, 1953 J. M. FIELDING PICTURE FRAME Filed Nov 16 INVENTOR.

JEANNE MERTZ FIELDING ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNITED STATES OFFICE; I 2,634,531 v a PICTURE Y 'Jcanne'Mertz FieldingNew York, .Y. Application November 10, 1951,,Serial N0.'255,78.6

13* Claims. GL 40-4155) Thepr'esent invention relates toi'picture frames,

and, more particularly, to an inexpensive picture frame fabricated from sheet material.

"Conventional inexpensive picture frames of this type"arettwo-dimensional; and, accordingly, haveza cheap and: flimsy appearance; and lack durability andrigidity. Attempts to fabricate 'better looking three-dimensional sturdy frames of sheet material have resultedin relatively com plicated and costly structures. li'he conventional structures include several pieces of material so that "a consumer cannot assemble-them easily and their manufacture is quite-expensiveand time-consuming.

It is an object of the-present invention'toyprovide a durable and attractive three-dimensional picture-framewhich is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble.

It, is another object of the present invention toprovide a'picture frame of the'character describedwhich simulates more expensive and complicatedly constructed picture frames, e. g; wooden" frames.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a blank from which a picture frame of the-character described "can be fabricated. I Other objects of'the -present 'invention will in part be *obvious'and in part-willbe pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the-features :ofcon'struc'tion, combinations of-"elements and arrangements of parts-which'willbe exem pli-fied 'inthe device'hereinafter described and er'wmch the scope of' application Will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one 'of the 'various possible embodiments of the invention, kiFi'g; 1 is a front view ofanassembled picture frame-constructed:inaccordance with'thepresent invention; 1

metal or plastic "fil'mis shaped into a single 2 i blank la-formed"with fo1d lines so astebecap'ableof" assembly into a three-dimensionalzpiw ture frame.

Various shapes-of blank will produce differently shaped picture "frames. The -embodiment set forth below is, therefore, not to be takenaslimiting and" is merely an example showing. how a rectangular frame maybe produced.

"The blank 1!! is cut so as to include two'zises celestrapezoidal end-panels l 2, l 4 and two isosceles trapezoidal central panels 16, 18. Themeet ing-end edges of each panel form a crease .or

fol'd129. "Each-panel has atop flap-22 and ,a bottomfiap 24' joined to the top and bottom,--riespectively, of the panel bycreases 26, and is divided into two rsect-ions 28;30 by a crease I 32 -'parallel to the top of the panel, the sections and flapsbeing defined by the creases 26, 32. "When 517118 blank is'assembled into a picture'frame, the pan els comprisethe'front of the frame-andrtheflaps the rear of the frame; "The crease 32-of each panel-is parallel to the top of that panel.

In order to carry out the present invention, the flat' blank, beforeassembly thereoftintoaa 'picture'framemust be so formed that theportion of the crease 20 at the end of"anytgivenvsection is a, straight-line uninterrupted continuation- 10i the" portions of the same crease at the ends: of

itherema'ining sections in the same panel. More-- over, the ends of the: respective sections 0f par- 'ticular juxtaposed panels must becoincident'with .the crease 20 joining such panels inthe-flat blank. By-*virtue of this construction, aszriwill appear hereinafter, each-corner of the *pi'ctur'e 'frame;rsave oneywill consistofbut-a single sheet of "materialevery sectionof-which is unbrokenly joined tor-all contiguous sections. in themeferred form of the invention, asillustratewherein, 'each'panel includes only two sections between thetop and bottom dam and in such' form it-is critical that-'sai'd'sections 28, '30 should beeof "substantially the same-width. r

Each'panel forms-"a straight side -3'4of apolyg onal "picture frame "whenthe blank is assembled and is. disposed in the blank with respect :to' an adjacent panel at "an angle a between the -..top "edges of'end-to-end'connected panels.- "The size of angle "a is a function-of both the angle bbetween the-sides 34'formed by the particular'ad- 'gja'cent panels and the angle 0' between the sec.- tions28, when the frame is assembled. Thus frames of "different shapesyand depths canb'e fabricated including irregular as -we'llas-regular shapes "Tabs 36; "Hand 'lfl-"are providedwat' the'end "of one panel on the top flap and sections thereof. A single tab 42 is provided at the end of the other end panel on the top flap thereof. Between the tabs and their associated sections are creases 44 corresponding to the creases 20.

All of the creases 26, and the creases 44 at the ends of the base sections 30 as well as those portions of the creases 20 at the ends of the base sections 30 fold in the same direction, e. g. in Fig. all of said creases point downwardly from the plane of the'drawings. This'direction will be designated as forward and the surfaces facing in that direction designated as forward surfaces." The creases 44 at the end of the top sections 28 as well as those portions of the creases 20 at the ends of the top sections-28 point rearwardly. I

It will be observed that adjacent top flaps 22 mental front will be symmetrical in the embodiment set forth above.

Means to permit hanging of a picture frame on a wall may be provided. As shown, such means comprises a strip of material 49 secured, for example by gluing, to the front surface of one of the bottom flaps. The strip has a free portion 50 in which an opening 52 is fashioned. The opening will serve to fit on any conventional picture frame hook. 1 3

Each section forms a face of the ornamental part of a side of an assembled frame, the faces of any given side being disposed at angles other than 180 to each other.

The frame as assembled will form a polygonal construction thecorners of which are entirely in one piece with the adjacent sides except for one corner. The polygon-may be regular or irregular are unconnected, i. e. they are separated from one another by slits.

...To assemble the frame from the blank, each section 28 is folded rearwardly with respect to the associated crease 32 and simultaneously each section 30 is folded rearwardly with respect to its associated crease/-32. This is done for all of thepanelsl2, l4, l6 and [8. Thus the sections 28, 30 of each side will form a dihedral angle with the apex thereof pointed forwardly. As the several sections are folded in the foregoing mannerthe sides will move from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 1, that is to say, forming said sides into dihedral angles will cause the angles between adjacent sides to bereduced so that folding the sections of the sides automatically causes the corners to be brought to the proper angular shape.

It now will be appreciatedthat each side of the finished frame is composed of a plurality of long flat;.sections, said sections being set at an ,angle with respect toone another, this being the dihedral angle aforementioned. It also will be seen that the sections of each side are connected to one another by long crease lines and that the .corresponding sections of each side are connected tothe corresponding sections of adjacent sides by crease lines, thus insuring that at the corners azsolid construction is affected.

The bottom flaps are arranged to lie in back of their associatedtop flaps. The appearance of; the finished frame in front elevation is shown in Fig. 2 and the sectional configuration is best seen in Fig. 3. I ".The free ends of the end panels are attached toeach other by disposing tabs 38 and 4B of one end panel against-the rear surfaces of the ends ofthe sections of theother end panel and securing the tabs thereto in a suitable manner, as for example bygluing or stapling. Asgshown, the ,attachment'is accomplished by providing area's 4630f glue *on the rear surfaces of the sections ag ainstwhich the tabs are adapted to lie. In this way easy assembly is possible. In addition, tab136 is secured to the rear surface of tab42 in the same manner as that just described for the other tabs, :wWhen assembled, the rear surfaces of the sec..-

@:tions constitute a V-shaped ornamental front ofeach side of the frame; the top and bottom flaps serve as elements between which the picture to be framed can be disposed. The picture may be retained in, place in any conventional manner, for example, by disposing glue on the rear surfaces of'the bottom flaps as shown at 48.

Since the sides must be isosceles as only two secnq s Q e u l Width a m e s depending upon the type of frame desired.

It thus will be seen that there provided a device which achieves all the objects of the invention and is well adapted to meetthe conditions of practical use. 1 v

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

l. A blank of stiff, tough sheetmaterial' from which a polygonal straight-sided picture frame can be fabricated, saidblank comprising a plurality of end-to-end contiguous trapezoidal panels adapted when assembled to form the. front portions of the sides of the frame, each front portion having plural flat facesstraight crease lines parallel to the tops and bottoms of the panels and dividing the panels into a plurality of sec trons, each section being adapted to form a face of that front portion which corresponds to the panel of, which said section com pris es a part, straight crease lines connecting the ends of con; tiguous panels, said crease lines extending uninterruptedly from thetops to the bases of said panels, and the angle between contiguous panels being a function both of the angle between juictaposcd facesof the frameand of the angle be.- tween the contiguous sides of the frame.

2. A- blank as set forth in claim 1 whereinth trapezoidal panels are isosceles and whereinthe angles between contiguous panels are-equal g 3. Ablank of stiff, tough sheet material from which a polygonal straight-sided picture ,frame can be fabricated, said blank comprising a plus rality of end-to-end contiguous, trapezoidal panels adapted when assembled to form the front portions of the sides of the frame, each front portion being V-shaped and having twoflatfaces, straight crease lines parallel to and midway be tween the tops and'bottoms of the panels and dividing each panel "into-two sections whose widths are approximately the same, each sec tion being adapted to form a face of that front portion which' corresponds to the panel ofwhich said section comprises'a part, straightcreaseflines connecting the ends of contiguous panels, and crease lines extending uninter'ruptedly from the topstothe bases of said panels, the angle. be; tween contiguousjpanels being a function both P th a le beret see ed e frame and of the angle between contiguous sides of the frame.

4. A blank as set forth in claim 3 wherein flaps are joined by straight crease lines to the tops and bottoms of the panels, said flaps being adapted to form the rear of the frame and support a picture.

5. A blank as set forth in claim 3 wherein tabs are provided at the free ends of the endmost panels to join the sections of said panels when the blank is transformed in a picture frame.

6. A three-dimensional polygonal picture frame fabricated from a one-piece integral blank of stiff, tough sheet material, said frame comprising a plurality of straight side members, each of said side members being composed of a plurality of long flat sections, said sections being set at solid angles in relation to each other and being connected by long crease lines, corresponding flat sections of each side member being unbrokenly connected to corresponding fiat sections of adjacent side members by crease lines except at one corner whereby each side member is in one piece with the adjacent side members at the corners except for said one corner, and means to join the corresponding flat sections of the two side members at said one corner.

7. A picture frame as set forth in claim 6 wherein the flat sections are approximately equal in width.

8. A picture frame as set forth in claim 6 wherein each side consists of only two fiat sections.

9. A picture frame as set forth in claim 6 wherein each side consists of only two fiat sections and wherein the sections are approximately equal in width.

10. A picture frame as set forth in claim 6 wherein the flat sections have flaps integrally connected thereto by crease lines.

11. In a three-dimensional polygonal picture frame a pair of straight side members fabricated from one piece of stiff, tough sheet material, each of said side members being composed of a plurality of long fiat sections, said sections being set at solid angles in relation to each other and being connected by long crease lines, corresponding fiat sections of each side member being unbrokenly connected to corresponding flat sections of adjacent side members by crease lines whereby the side members are in one piece with one another at the corners.

12. In a blank of stiff, tough sheet material from which a polygonal straight-sided picture frame can be fabricated: two end-to-end sets of contiguous trapezoidal panels adapted when assembled to form the front portions of two adjacent sides of the frame, each front portion having plural flat faces, straight crease lines parallel to the tops and bottoms of the panels and dividing the panels into a plurality of sections, each section being adapted to form a face of that front portion which corresponds to the panel of which said section comprises a part, a straight crease line connecting the ends of the contiguous panels, said crease line extending uninterruptedly from the tops to the bases of said panels and the angle between contiguous panels being a function both of the angle between juxtaposed faces of the frame and the angle between the two contiguous sides of the frame.

13. In a blank of stiff, tough sheet material from which a polygonal straight-sided picture frame can be fabricated: two end-to-end sets of contiguous trapezoidal panels adapted when assembled to form the front portions of two adjacent sides of the frame, each front portion being V-shaped and having two flat faces of substantially equal width, straight crease lines parallel to and midway between the tops and bottoms of the panels and dividing the panels into two sections, each section being adapted to form a face of that front portion which corresponds to the panel of which said section comprises a. part, a straight crease line connecting the ends of the contiguous panels, said crease line extending uninterruptedly from the tops to the bases of said panels and the angle between contiguous panels being a function both of the angle between juxtaposed faces of the frame and the angle between the two contiguous sides of the frame.

JEANNE LERTZ FIELDING.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,408,532 Roach Oct. 1, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 353,161 Great Britain July 23, 1931 

